As there are many barriers to the effective operation of paratransit services required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), both riders and transit agencies have incentives to shift some paratransit ridership to more effective transit services. To address these barriers, transit agencies have started partnering with technology-enabled third-party companies (e.g., transportation network companies, taxi companies) to provide new on-demand mobility options for people with disabilities. Previous studies identified the benefits and challenges of implementing on-demand services through a public-private partnership, but did not fully investigate the implementation of this emerging on-demand service from the perspective of serving individuals with disabilities. This study conducted online surveys and semi-structured interviews with 10 transit agencies across the United States to understand how this new on-demand mobility option has complemented ADA paratransit services, and what challenges and outcomes the partnerships have experienced over time. Findings indicate that despite the positive impact of implementing the on-demand service on overall service operation and delivery, transit agencies still experienced challenges in providing accessible and reliable on-demand services for riders. Transit agencies and partnering mobility service companies should work together to increase technology adoption, availability and reliability of wheelchair accessible services, and driver sensitivity to the needs of individuals with disabilities, as well as to support the sustainability of the program through continuous evaluation.

Transit agencies utilize the following complementary initiatives to encourage greater fixed-route transit usage by people with disabilities: (1) implement more rigorous paratransit eligibility determination practices and (2) address the factors that deter people with disabilities from using fixed-route transit. This research focuses on the latter and uses previously conducted survey data to determine the most important factors individuals with disabilities consider when deciding to use various transportation options, and how these factors vary by disability and community type. Findings indicate that individuals with mobility impairments consistently rated the built environment factors as more important to their transit mode decision-making than scheduling-related factors. Findings also highlighted the importance of addressing complex trips when assisting riders with intellectual and cognitive disabilities. The current study also revealed that people with disabilities experience barriers differently based on where they live, suggesting the need for context sensitive interventions to support fixed-route ridership. Transit agencies should utilize this information to employ more targeted interventions to encourage greater fixed-route transit usage for individuals with disabilities.

Background: Community design features, such as sidewalks and street crossings, present significant challenges for individuals with disabilities, hindering their physical performance and social integration. However, limited research has been conducted on the application of Universal Design (UD) to address these challenges, particularly concerning specific demographic groups and population cohorts. Understanding the influence of environmental features on physical performance is crucial for developing inclusive solutions like UD, which can enhance usability and social integration across diverse populations. Objective: This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the complex relationships between environmental barriers, health conditions, and routine activity performance. An index was developed to evaluate users’ UD performance based on functional capacity, providing scientifically rigorous and objectively measured evidence of UD effectiveness in creating inclusive built environments. Method: Using data from the Problematic Activities Survey (PAS) conducted in the U.S., Canada, and Australia and targeting individuals with and without functional limitations, multinomial logit models were employed to estimate the probabilities of encountering performance problems. This analysis led to the development of the Problematic Performance Value (PPV) score. Results: The results demonstrated significant disparities in PPVs across various health conditions, particularly concerning curb ramps. Individuals facing mobility issues in their legs/feet, arms/hands, or back/neck encounter more pronounced challenges, especially when curb ramps lack proper design elements. Similarly, individuals with vision impairments face heightened difficulties with traffic signals, particularly due to issues with audible signal systems. These findings underscore the importance of addressing micro-level environmental challenges to accommodate individuals with varying functional capacities effectively. Conclusions: By providing insights into the most problematic daily activities encountered by diverse populations, the PPV score serves as a valuable indicator for guiding environmental design improvements and promoting equitable space usage. This can be used to guide improved UD solutions and decide areas of concentration by providing generalized information on specific environmental features that contribute to user performance.

Wheelchairs need to be secured properly during transit to reduce the risk of passenger injury. New wheelchair securement systems have been developed in an attempt to provide increased usability and independence for passengers who need to use them. This field study evaluated newer wheelchair securement system usage through a retrospective review of on-board video surveillance recordings and large accessible transit vehicle (LATV) operators’ perceived usability of two newer wheelchair securement systems on fixed-route LATVs. Results showed that nonuse and misuse of securement systems were more prevalent with trips using the 3-point, forward-facing (3P-FF) tiedown system compared with trips using the semi-automated, rear-facing (SA-RF) system. While a majority of nonuse and misuse of the 3P-FF system was because of LATV operator error, the reasons for nonuse and misuse of the SA-RF system were more complex and mostly involved system design and transit policy issues. Operators most preferred using the 3P-FF system on the LATV rather than the SA-RF system. Findings support the need for further development and implementation of wheelchair securement with improved usability, innovative securement systems that can be operated independently by wheelchair users, and improved securement training for bus operators and wheelchair passengers.